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2 [a]How the Lord has covered Daughter Zionwith the cloud of his anger[b]!He has hurled down the splendor of Israelfrom heaven to earth;he has not remembered his footstoolin the day of his anger.

2 Without pity the Lord has swallowed upall the dwellings of Jacob;in his wrath he has torn downthe strongholds of Daughter Judah.He has brought her kingdom and its princesdown to the ground in dishonor.

3 In fierce anger he has cut offevery horn[c][d] of Israel.He has withdrawn his right handat the approach of the enemy.He has burned in Jacob like a flaming firethat consumes everything around it.

4 Like an enemy he has strung his bow;his right hand is ready.Like a foe he has slainall who were pleasing to the eye;he has poured out his wrath like fireon the tent of Daughter Zion.

5 The Lord is like an enemy;he has swallowed up Israel.He has swallowed up all her palacesand destroyed her strongholds.He has multiplied mourning and lamentationfor Daughter Judah.

6 He has laid waste his dwelling like a garden;he has destroyed his place of meeting.The Lord has made Zion forgether appointed festivals and her Sabbaths;in his fierce anger he has spurnedboth king and priest.

7 The Lord has rejected his altarand abandoned his sanctuary.He has given the walls of her palacesinto the hands of the enemy;they have raised a shout in the house of the Lordas on the day of an appointed festival.

8 The Lord determined to tear downthe wall around Daughter Zion.He stretched out a measuring lineand did not withhold his hand from destroying.He made ramparts and walls lament;together they wasted away.

9 Her gates have sunk into the ground;their bars he has broken and destroyed.Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations,the law is no more,and her prophets no longer findvisions from the Lord.

10 The elders of Daughter Zionsit on the ground in silence;they have sprinkled dust on their headsand put on sackcloth.The young women of Jerusalemhave bowed their heads to the ground.

11 My eyes fail from weeping,I am in torment within;my heart is poured out on the groundbecause my people are destroyed,because children and infants faintin the streets of the city.

12 They say to their mothers,“Where is bread and wine?”as they faint like the woundedin the streets of the city,as their lives ebb awayin their mothers’ arms.

13 What can I say for you?With what can I compare you,Daughter Jerusalem?To what can I liken you,that I may comfort you,Virgin Daughter Zion?Your wound is as deep as the sea.Who can heal you?

14 The visions of your prophetswere false and worthless;they did not expose your sinto ward off your captivity.The prophecies they gave youwere false and misleading.

15 All who pass your wayclap their hands at you;they scoff and shake their headsat Daughter Jerusalem:“Is this the city that was calledthe perfection of beauty,the joy of the whole earth?”

16 All your enemies open their mouthswide against you;they scoff and gnash their teethand say, “We have swallowed her up.This is the day we have waited for;we have lived to see it.”

17 The Lord has done what he planned;he has fulfilled his word,which he decreed long ago.He has overthrown you without pity,he has let the enemy gloat over you,he has exalted the horn[e] of your foes.

18 The hearts of the peoplecry out to the Lord.You walls of Daughter Zion,let your tears flow like a riverday and night;give yourself no relief,your eyes no rest.

19 Arise, cry out in the night,as the watches of the night begin;pour out your heart like waterin the presence of the Lord.Lift up your hands to himfor the lives of your children,who faint from hungerat every street corner.

20 “Look, Lord, and consider:Whom have you ever treated like this?Should women eat their offspring,the children they have cared for?Should priest and prophet be killedin the sanctuary of the Lord?

21 “Young and old lie togetherin the dust of the streets;my young men and young womenhave fallen by the sword.You have slain them in the day of your anger;you have slaughtered them without pity.

22 “As you summon to a feast day,so you summoned against me terrors on every side.In the day of the Lord’s angerno one escaped or survived;those I cared for and rearedmy enemy has destroyed.”

3 [f]I am the man who has seen afflictionby the rod of the Lord’s wrath.2 He has driven me away and made me walkin darkness rather than light;3 indeed, he has turned his hand against meagain and again, all day long.

4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow oldand has broken my bones.5 He has besieged me and surrounded mewith bitterness and hardship.6 He has made me dwell in darknesslike those long dead.

7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;he has weighed me down with chains.8 Even when I call out or cry for help,he shuts out my prayer.9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone;he has made my paths crooked.

10 Like a bear lying in wait,like a lion in hiding,11 he dragged me from the path and mangled meand left me without help.12 He drew his bowand made me the target for his arrows.

13 He pierced my heartwith arrows from his quiver.14 I became the laughingstock of all my people;they mock me in song all day long.15 He has filled me with bitter herbsand given me gall to drink.

16 He has broken my teeth with gravel;he has trampled me in the dust.17 I have been deprived of peace;I have forgotten what prosperity is.18 So I say, “My splendor is goneand all that I had hoped from the Lord.”

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,the bitterness and the gall.20 I well remember them,and my soul is downcast within me.21 Yet this I call to mindand therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail.23 They are new every morning;great is your faithfulness.24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,to the one who seeks him;26 it is good to wait quietlyfor the salvation of the Lord.27 It is good for a man to bear the yokewhile he is young.

28 Let him sit alone in silence,for the Lord has laid it on him.29 Let him bury his face in the dust—there may yet be hope.30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,and let him be filled with disgrace.

31 For no one is cast offby the Lord forever.32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,so great is his unfailing love.33 For he does not willingly bring afflictionor grief to anyone.

34 To crush underfootall prisoners in the land,35 to deny people their rightsbefore the Most High,36 to deprive them of justice—would not the Lord see such things?

37 Who can speak and have it happenif the Lord has not decreed it?38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most Highthat both calamities and good things come?39 Why should the living complainwhen punished for their sins?

40 Let us examine our ways and test them,and let us return to the Lord.41 Let us lift up our hearts and our handsto God in heaven, and say:42 “We have sinned and rebelledand you have not forgiven.

43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;you have slain without pity.44 You have covered yourself with a cloudso that no prayer can get through.45 You have made us scum and refuseamong the nations.

46 “All our enemies have opened their mouthswide against us.47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,ruin and destruction.”48 Streams of tears flow from my eyesbecause my people are destroyed.

49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,without relief,50 until the Lord looks downfrom heaven and sees.51 What I see brings grief to my soulbecause of all the women of my city.

52 Those who were my enemies without causehunted me like a bird.53 They tried to end my life in a pitand threw stones at me;54 the waters closed over my head,and I thought I was about to perish.

55 I called on your name, Lord,from the depths of the pit.56 You heard my plea: “Do not close your earsto my cry for relief.”57 You came near when I called you,and you said, “Do not fear.”

58 You, Lord, took up my case;you redeemed my life.59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.Uphold my cause!60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,all their plots against me.

61 Lord, you have heard their insults,all their plots against me—62 what my enemies whisper and mutteragainst me all day long.63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,they mock me in their songs.

64 Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,for what their hands have done.65 Put a veil over their hearts,and may your curse be on them!66 Pursue them in anger and destroy themfrom under the heavens of the Lord.

4 [g]How the gold has lost its luster,the fine gold become dull!The sacred gems are scatteredat every street corner.

2 How the precious children of Zion,once worth their weight in gold,are now considered as pots of clay,the work of a potter’s hands!

3 Even jackals offer their breaststo nurse their young,but my people have become heartlesslike ostriches in the desert.

4 Because of thirst the infant’s tonguesticks to the roof of its mouth;the children beg for bread,but no one gives it to them.

5 Those who once ate delicaciesare destitute in the streets.Those brought up in royal purplenow lie on ash heaps.

6 The punishment of my peopleis greater than that of Sodom,which was overthrown in a momentwithout a hand turned to help her.

7 Their princes were brighter than snowand whiter than milk,their bodies more ruddy than rubies,their appearance like lapis lazuli.

8 But now they are blacker than soot;they are not recognized in the streets.Their skin has shriveled on their bones;it has become as dry as a stick.

9 Those killed by the sword are better offthan those who die of famine;racked with hunger, they waste awayfor lack of food from the field.

10 With their own hands compassionate womenhave cooked their own children,who became their foodwhen my people were destroyed.

11 The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;he has poured out his fierce anger.He kindled a fire in Zionthat consumed her foundations.

12 The kings of the earth did not believe,nor did any of the peoples of the world,that enemies and foes could enterthe gates of Jerusalem.

13 But it happened because of the sins of her prophetsand the iniquities of her priests,who shed within herthe blood of the righteous.

14 Now they grope through the streetsas if they were blind.They are so defiled with bloodthat no one dares to touch their garments.

15 “Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.“Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”When they flee and wander about,people among the nations say,“They can stay here no longer.”

16 The Lord himself has scattered them;he no longer watches over them.The priests are shown no honor,the elders no favor.

17 Moreover, our eyes failed,looking in vain for help;from our towers we watchedfor a nation that could not save us.

18 People stalked us at every step,so we could not walk in our streets.Our end was near, our days were numbered,for our end had come.

19 Our pursuers were swifterthan eagles in the sky;they chased us over the mountainsand lay in wait for us in the desert.

20 The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath,was caught in their traps.We thought that under his shadowwe would live among the nations.

21 Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,you who live in the land of Uz.But to you also the cup will be passed;you will be drunk and stripped naked.

5 Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;look, and see our disgrace.2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,our homes to foreigners.3 We have become fatherless,our mothers are widows.4 We must buy the water we drink;our wood can be had only at a price.5 Those who pursue us are at our heels;we are weary and find no rest.6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyriato get enough bread.7 Our ancestors sinned and are no more,and we bear their punishment.8 Slaves rule over us,and there is no one to free us from their hands.9 We get our bread at the risk of our livesbecause of the sword in the desert.10 Our skin is hot as an oven,feverish from hunger.11 Women have been violated in Zion,and virgins in the towns of Judah.12 Princes have been hung up by their hands;elders are shown no respect.13 Young men toil at the millstones;boys stagger under loads of wood.14 The elders are gone from the city gate;the young men have stopped their music.15 Joy is gone from our hearts;our dancing has turned to mourning.16 The crown has fallen from our head.Woe to us, for we have sinned!17 Because of this our hearts are faint,because of these things our eyes grow dim18 for Mount Zion, which lies desolate,with jackals prowling over it.

19 You, Lord, reign forever;your throne endures from generation to generation.20 Why do you always forget us?Why do you forsake us so long?21 Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;renew our days as of old22 unless you have utterly rejected usand are angry with us beyond measure.

Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision

1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

2 On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—3 the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians.[h] There the hand of the Lord was on him.

4 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,5 and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human,6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.7 Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings,9 and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body.12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel.17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went.18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

19 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.20 Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.21 When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome.23 Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body.24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty,[i] like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

25 Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings.26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.27 I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him.28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.

This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Ezekiel’s Call to Be a Prophet

2 He said to me, “Son of man,[j] stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.”2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

3 He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’5 And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them.6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll,10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.

3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.”2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them.5 You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel—6 not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

10 And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you.11 Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”

12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing.[k]13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.14 The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me.15 I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed.

Ezekiel’s Task as Watchman

16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[l] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

22 The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.”23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.

24 Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.25 And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.

Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

4 “Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it.2 Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it.3 Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.

4 “Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself.[m] You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side.5 I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.

6 “After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year.7 Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her.8 I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.

9 “Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side.10 Weigh out twenty shekels[n] of food to eat each day and eat it at set times.11 Also measure out a sixth of a hin[o] of water and drink it at set times.12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.”13 The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”

14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.”

16 He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair,17 for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of[p] their sin.

God’s Razor of Judgment

5 “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair.2 When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword.3 But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment.4 Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.

5 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.6 Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.

7 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even[q] conformed to the standards of the nations around you.

8 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations.9 Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.10 Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds.11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares the SovereignLord, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will shave you; I will not look on you with pity or spare you.12 A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.

13 “Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath on them, they will know that I the Lord have spoken in my zeal.

14 “I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.15 You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I the Lord have spoken.16 When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.17 I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.”

Doom for the Mountains of Israel

6 The word of the Lord came to me:2 “Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel; prophesy against them3 and say: ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.4 Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols.5 I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars.6 Wherever you live, the towns will be laid waste and the high places demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols smashed and ruined, your incense altars broken down, and what you have made wiped out.7 Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

8 “‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations.9 Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices.10 And they will know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.

11 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out “Alas!” because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague.12 One who is far away will die of the plague, and one who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I pour out my wrath on them.13 And they will know that I am the Lord, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols.14 And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah[r]—wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

The End Has Come

7 The word of the Lord came to me:2 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the land of Israel:

“‘The end! The end has comeupon the four corners of the land!3 The end is now upon you,and I will unleash my anger against you.I will judge you according to your conductand repay you for all your detestable practices.4 I will not look on you with pity;I will not spare you.I will surely repay you for your conductand for the detestable practices among you.

“‘Then you will know that I am the Lord.’

5 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Disaster! Unheard-of[s] disaster!See, it comes!6 The end has come!The end has come!It has roused itself against you.See, it comes!7 Doom has come upon you,upon you who dwell in the land.The time has come! The day is near!There is panic, not joy, on the mountains.8 I am about to pour out my wrath on youand spend my anger against you.I will judge you according to your conductand repay you for all your detestable practices.9 I will not look on you with pity;I will not spare you.I will repay you for your conductand for the detestable practices among you.

“‘Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you.

10 “‘See, the day!See, it comes!Doom has burst forth,the rod has budded,arrogance has blossomed!11 Violence has arisen,[t]a rod to punish the wicked.None of the people will be left,none of that crowd—none of their wealth,nothing of value.12 The time has come!The day has arrived!Let not the buyer rejoicenor the seller grieve,for my wrath is on the whole crowd.13 The seller will not recoverthe property that was sold—as long as both buyer and seller live.For the vision concerning the whole crowdwill not be reversed.Because of their sins, not one of themwill preserve their life.

14 “‘They have blown the trumpet,they have made all things ready,but no one will go into battle,for my wrath is on the whole crowd.15 Outside is the sword;inside are plague and famine.Those in the countrywill die by the sword;those in the citywill be devoured by famine and plague.16 The fugitives who escapewill flee to the mountains.Like doves of the valleys,they will all moan,each for their own sins.17 Every hand will go limp;every leg will be wet with urine.18 They will put on sackclothand be clothed with terror.Every face will be covered with shame,and every head will be shaved.

19 “‘They will throw their silver into the streets,and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean.Their silver and goldwill not be able to deliver themin the day of the Lord’s wrath.It will not satisfy their hungeror fill their stomachs,for it has caused them to stumble into sin.20 They took pride in their beautiful jewelryand used it to make their detestable idols.They made it into vile images;therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.21 I will give their wealth as plunder to foreignersand as loot to the wicked of the earth,who will defile it.22 I will turn my face away from the people,and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure.They will enter itand will defile it.

23 “‘Prepare chains!For the land is full of bloodshed,and the city is full of violence.24 I will bring the most wicked of nationsto take possession of their houses.I will put an end to the pride of the mighty,and their sanctuaries will be desecrated.25 When terror comes,they will seek peace in vain.26 Calamity upon calamity will come,and rumor upon rumor.They will go searching for a vision from the prophet,priestly instruction in the law will cease,the counsel of the elders will come to an end.27 The king will mourn,the prince will be clothed with despair,and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.I will deal with them according to their conduct,and by their own standards I will judge them.

“‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Idolatry in the Temple

8 In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign Lord came on me there.2 I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.[u] From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.3 He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood.4 And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.

5 Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of jealousy.

6 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

7 Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall.8 He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

9 And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.”10 So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols of Israel.11 In front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.

12 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land.’”13 Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”

14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz.15 He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”

16 He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

17 He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose!18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”

Judgment on the Idolaters

9 Then I heard him call out in a loud voice, “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.”2 And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

5 As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion.6 Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple.

7 Then he said to them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.8 While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell facedown, crying out, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

9 He answered me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see.’10 So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done.”

11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded.”

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne of lapis lazuli above the vault that was over the heads of the cherubim.2 The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

3 Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court.4 Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord.5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty[v] when he speaks.

6 When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel.7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out.8 (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)

9 I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.10 As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel.11 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about[w] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went.12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels.13 I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.”14 Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River.16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side.17 When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.19 While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were cherubim.21 Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like human hands.22 Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River. Each one went straight ahead.

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.2 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving wicked advice in this city.3 They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it.’4 Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man.”

5 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.6 You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.

7 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it.8 You fear the sword, and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.9 I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.10 You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.11 This city will not be a pot for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.12 And you will know that I am the Lord, for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.”

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?”

The Promise of Israel’s Return

14 The word of the Lord came to me:15 “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’

16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.’

17 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’

18 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols.19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.23 The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it.24 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia[x] in the vision given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me,25 and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.

The Exile Symbolized

12 The word of the Lord came to me:2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.

3 “Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious people.4 During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile.5 While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it.6 Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the Israelites.”

7 So I did as I was commanded. During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

8 In the morning the word of the Lord came to me:9 “Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’

10 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’11 Say to them, ‘I am a sign to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.

12 “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.13 I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die.14 I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.

15 “They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.16 But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

17 The word of the Lord came to me:18 “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water.19 Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there.20 The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes:

Lamentations 2:1This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Lamentations 2:1Or How the Lord in his anger / has treated Daughter Zion with contempt

Ezekiel 2:1The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here and throughout Ezekiel because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament.

Ezekiel 3:12Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text sound—may the glory of the Lord be praised from his place